Lead-to-Revenue Managementhttp://blogs.forrester.com/taxonomy/term/10566/all
enNow Available: Forrester’s First Wave™ Evaluation Of Lead-To-Revenue Platform Providershttp://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo/14-01-28-now_available_forresters_first_wave_evaluation_of_lead_to_revenue_platform_providers
<p>We recently wrapped up our first ever evaluation on lead-to-revenue management (L2RM) platforms. In this 75-criteria evaluation, we identified the nine most significant solution providers in the category, and researched, analyzed, and scored them. I want to extend my sincere thanks to each vendor in the report -- Act-On, Adobe, CallidusCloud, IBM, Marketo, Oracle, salesforce.com, Salesfusion, and Silverpop -- for committing to and participating in the often grueling Forrester Wave&trade; evaluation process. </p>
<p>In the analysis, the Forrester team looked in detail at how the vendors support traditional business-to-business (B2B) lead management capabilities -- lead capture, lead nurturing, lead scoring, and lead promotion -- as well as meet the emerging needs of B2B marketers in cross-channel execution, social campaigns, and real-time, contextual triggers, optimization, and analytics. </p>
<p>Forrester clients can read the <a href="http://www.forrester.com/The+Forrester+Wave+LeadToRevenue+Management+Platform+Vendors+Q1+2014/fulltext/-/E-RES95221">full report here</a>.</p>
<p>The Forrester Wave process is extensive. Here are some of my key takeaways after having scored 675 criteria, reviewed the transcripts of 30 interviews, watched 18 hours of vendor demos, topped off with 9-plus hours of vendor strategy presentations:
</p>
<p><strong>The L2RM Platform Buyer Needs To Exercise Deep Due Diligence When Making A Platform Selection</strong></p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo/14-01-28-now_available_forresters_first_wave_evaluation_of_lead_to_revenue_platform_providers" title="Read the rest of &#039;Now Available: Forrester’s First Wave™ Evaluation Of Lead-To-Revenue Platform Providers&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_10567 first"><a href="/category/l2rm" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">L2RM</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10566"><a href="/category/lead_to_revenue_management_0" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Lead-to-Revenue Management</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_630"><a href="/category/wave" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Wave</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10688 last"><a href="/category/forrester_wave" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">forrester wave</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo/14-01-28-now_available_forresters_first_wave_evaluation_of_lead_to_revenue_platform_providers#commentsB2B MarketingL2RMLead-to-Revenue ManagementWaveforrester waveTue, 28 Jan 2014 19:55:24 +0000Lori Wizdo10247 at http://blogs.forrester.comCustomer Marketing: The Flip Side Of The L2RM Coinhttp://blogs.forrester.com/laura_ramos/14-01-16-customer_marketing_the_flip_side_of_the_l2rm_coin
<p>Let&#39;s face it. We probably should have called it &quot;lead-to-loyalty&quot; instead of &quot;lead-to-revenue.&quot;<a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/f/b/users/LRAMOS/b2b_marketings_evolution.png"></a> (<a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo/12-11-06-forget_the_funnel_introducing_a_new_metaphor_for_lead_to_revenue_process_management">Lead-to-revenue still sounds better</a> . . . at least we&#39;re not talking about the funnel . . .)</p>
<p>What I <em>am </em>talking about is automating marketing -- what Forrester calls the integrated set of goals, processes, and metrics that shape marketing practices from lead-generation-to-revenue events.</p>
<p>We see business-to-business (<span word="B2B" data-scaytid="1">B2B)</span> <span word="CMOs" data-scaytid="2">CMOs</span> from companies large and small ramping up <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/laura_ramos/13-12-28-from_revenue_to_life_cycle_management_2014_investment_imperatives_for_b2b_cmos">technology, processes, and new marketing skills to get their teams to better focus marketing activity</a> on customer engagement and to measure their departments against revenue performance.</p>
<p>But here&#39;s the kicker; managing leads to revenue shouldn&#39;t end with a signed contract but should continue across the entire customer <span word="life-cyle" data-scaytid="3">life cyle</span>. It&#39;s about turning leads into long-term loyal customers. After all, a revenue event is a revenue event; it doesn&#39;t matter if it happens from engaging with a prospect or with an existing customer.</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/laura_ramos/14-01-16-customer_marketing_the_flip_side_of_the_l2rm_coin" title="Read the rest of &#039;Customer Marketing: The Flip Side Of The L2RM Coin&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_131 first"><a href="/category/b2b_marketing" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">B2B marketing</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12329"><a href="/category/customer_marketing" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Customer marketing</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10567"><a href="/category/l2rm" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">L2RM</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10566"><a href="/category/lead_to_revenue_management_0" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Lead-to-Revenue Management</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9255 last"><a href="/category/marketing_automation" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Marketing automation</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/laura_ramos/14-01-16-customer_marketing_the_flip_side_of_the_l2rm_coin#commentsB2B marketingCMOCustomer marketingL2RMLead-to-Revenue ManagementMarketing automationFri, 17 Jan 2014 00:53:37 +0000Laura Ramos10211 at http://blogs.forrester.comStrengthen Your B2B Brand With Better Content Distributionhttp://blogs.forrester.com/peter_oneill/13-05-08-strengthen_your_b2b_brand_with_better_content_distribution
<p>Peter O'Neill here with some comments about being truly effective at <a href="http://www.forrester.com/Content+Marketing+Is+A+Key+Differentiator+For+Tech+Marketers/fulltext/-/E-RES61283">content marketing</a>. Did you know that B2B buyers say that 70% of the content they read and study before making a purchase decision is actually found by themselves; as opposed to being given to them by marketing or sales? At Forrester, we like to talk about the new interaction model of need-match-engage, where the buyers now initiate the interaction and spend a major part of their buyer journey doing their own research before calling in potential suppliers.</p>
<p>Content marketing has therefore become much more than product and solutions collateral, campaigns, mailings, and fulfillment. B2B marketers have to be great at being found by buyers in their early research phase (the phases we call discover and explore). In a way, successful marketers will "fool" their buyers into consuming <strong>their</strong> thought-leadership and educational content in stages 1 through 5 -- while hardly realizing its source. And the most successful marketers will learn how to mix their brand &quot;scent&quot; into that content without appearing to be selling -- to the extent that buyers will count it as part of their 70%. </p>
<p class="rtecenter"></p>
<p>How do they achieve this success? Among other things: by understanding the buyer journey; by researching the buyer roles and their preferences; and by using an "outside-in" taxonomy and point of view. I will be talking about this in more detail at our <a href="http://www.forrester.com/Content+Marketing+Is+A+Key+Differentiator+For+Tech+Marketers/fulltext/-/E-RES61283#/Forresters+Forum+For+Marketing+Leaders+EMEA/-/E-EVE5119">upcoming Marketing Leadership Forum</a>in London on May 21 and 22. Come along and discuss these challenges with me.</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/peter_oneill/13-05-08-strengthen_your_b2b_brand_with_better_content_distribution" title="Read the rest of &#039;Strengthen Your B2B Brand With Better Content Distribution&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9798 first"><a href="/category/demand_management" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Demand Management</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10567"><a href="/category/l2rm" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">L2RM</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10566"><a href="/category/lead_to_revenue_management_0" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Lead-to-Revenue Management</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_11699"><a href="/category/revenue_acceleration" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Revenue Acceleration</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_80"><a href="/category/sales_enablement" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Sales enablement</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9691"><a href="/category/brand" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">brand</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9730 last"><a href="/category/content_marketing" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">content marketing</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/peter_oneill/13-05-08-strengthen_your_b2b_brand_with_better_content_distribution#commentsB2B MarketingDemand ManagementL2RMLead-to-Revenue ManagementRevenue AccelerationSales enablementbrandcontent marketingWed, 08 May 2013 11:00:53 +0000Peter O'Neill9241 at http://blogs.forrester.comOff And Running . . . In The B2B CMO Race http://blogs.forrester.com/laura_ramos/13-02-06-off_and_running_in_the_b2b_cmo_race
<p>&quot;Hello, I&#39;m Laura Ramos, and I write for chief marketing officers.&quot;</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/laura_ramos/13-02-06-off_and_running_in_the_b2b_cmo_race" title="Read the rest of &#039;Off And Running . . . In The B2B CMO Race &#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_926 first"><a href="/category/cmo" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">CMO</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9433"><a href="/category/cmo_priorities" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">CMO priorities</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10566"><a href="/category/lead_to_revenue_management_0" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Lead-to-Revenue Management</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9730"><a href="/category/content_marketing" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">content marketing</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_1175 last"><a href="/category/thought_leadership" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">thought leadership</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/laura_ramos/13-02-06-off_and_running_in_the_b2b_cmo_race#commentsCMOCMOCMO prioritiesLead-to-Revenue Managementcontent marketingthought leadershipWed, 06 Feb 2013 18:59:53 +0000Laura Ramos8811 at http://blogs.forrester.comDealing With The “People Part” Of Your Lead-To-Revenue Management Transformationhttp://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo/12-10-21-dealing_with_the_people_part_of_your_lead_to_revenue_management_transformation
<p>Demonstrating the revenue return on marketing investment is the No. 1 issue for B2B marketing executives. In Forrester's Q4 2011 B2B Marketing Organizations And Investments Survey, when we asked marketing execs to identify the most important metrics for their marketing organization, 56% identified a revenue-related metric -- compared with 44% for customer satisfaction and 40% for brand awareness. So, it's no wonder that marketing automation solution vendors vociferously tout the ability of their solutions to track the revenue performance of marketing campaigns and programs.</p>
<p>But, looking at marketing automation solutions solely through the value lens of revenue performance management masks a more fundamental benefit. Marketing automation can transform a company's marketing operations. These solutions deliver scalability, root out excess cost, improve marketing execution, and provide the basis for continuous incremental process improvement.</p>
<p>Still many marketing execs hold back on investing in marketing automation. They fear the concurrent assimilation of new tactics, processes, and automation will unduly stress their marketing organization. But the transformation is necessary, and the stress unavoidable. Marketing execs need to proactively address the "people part" of their lead-to-revenue transformation.</p>
<p>I addressed these challenges in this <a href="http://www.forrester.com/home#/Dealing+With+The+People+Part+Of+Your+LeadToRevenue+Initiative/-/E-WEB11823">recent webinar, which is available on-demand.</a></p>
<p>In summary, here is what I suggest to clients in inquires about how to lead the overall transition to L2RM:</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo/12-10-21-dealing_with_the_people_part_of_your_lead_to_revenue_management_transformation" title="Read the rest of &#039;Dealing With The “People Part” Of Your Lead-To-Revenue Management Transformation&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9798 first"><a href="/category/demand_management" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Demand Management</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10567"><a href="/category/l2rm" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">L2RM</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10566"><a href="/category/lead_to_revenue_management_0" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Lead-to-Revenue Management</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9255 last"><a href="/category/marketing_automation" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Marketing automation</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo/12-10-21-dealing_with_the_people_part_of_your_lead_to_revenue_management_transformation#commentsCMODemand ManagementL2RMLead-to-Revenue ManagementMarketing automationMon, 22 Oct 2012 00:18:22 +0000Lori Wizdo8400 at http://blogs.forrester.comAre You Absolutely Sure You're Doing Enough With Social?http://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo/12-03-27-are_you_absolutely_sure_youre_doing_enough_with_social
<p>I (Lori Wizdo) have just put the finishing touches on the content for tomorrow&#39;s (Wednesday, March 28 at 10am PT/1pm ET) interactive webinar, <a href="http://www.forrester.com/Socialize+your+Lead+to+Revenue+Process/-/E-WEB8372?objectid=WEB8372">Socialize Your Lead To Revenue Process. </a> B2B marketers (even tech marketers) are not sure their buyers are really engaged in social media for business purpose. We&#39;ll see Forrester research that proves they are. We&#39;ll discuss how social marketing can address the issues I am hearing, over and over again, in client inquiries:</p>
<p>&quot;How can we increase inbound?&quot;.... &quot;How can we increase conversions?&quot; ... &quot;How can we shorten nurturing cycles?&quot; And, most importantly, &quot;Is social worth it?&quot;</p>
<p>Despite the doubts and uncertainties, tech marketers plan to increase spending on social media for L2RM in 2012: 43% plan to increase social media spend for lead origination; 41% for lead nurturing. Tomorrow&#39;s webinar hopes to give some very pragmatic advice to help you jumpstart or scale-up your social marketing program.</p>
<p>If you can join us, you can register <a href="http://www.forrester.com/Socialize+your+Lead+to+Revenue+Process/-/E-WEB8372?objectid=WEB8372">here. </a></p>
<a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo/12-03-27-are_you_absolutely_sure_youre_doing_enough_with_social" title="Read the rest of &#039;Are You Absolutely Sure You&amp;#039;re Doing Enough With Social?&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_10567 first"><a href="/category/l2rm" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">L2RM</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10566"><a href="/category/lead_to_revenue_management_0" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Lead-to-Revenue Management</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_115 last"><a href="/category/social_media" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Social media</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo/12-03-27-are_you_absolutely_sure_youre_doing_enough_with_social#commentsB2B MarketingL2RMLead-to-Revenue ManagementSocial mediaWed, 28 Mar 2012 00:42:06 +0000Lori Wizdo7537 at http://blogs.forrester.com